Karim Benzema trains alone ahead of El Clasico
By Tom Gott
Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema missed group training on Friday ahead of the weekend's Clasico meeting with Barcelona in La Liga.
The Frenchman picked up a knock while scoring his side's winner in the 1-0 victory over Liverpool in midweek but quickly reassured fans that he should be ready to go for Sunday's clash at Camp Nou, which will likely decide the fate of this season's La Liga title.
Barcelona are already nine points clear of Real at the top of the table and anything other than three points for Carlo Ancelotti's side would effectively end their slim hopes of climbing back to top spot.
Just whether Benzema will actually be back for the game is unclear as Marca note that he was not part of team training on Friday and instead worked alone inside.
The striker was kept in the gym to work on recovery while the rest of the squad trained out on the grass just two days before the biggest game of Real's season so far.
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However, multiple outlets have reported that that was simply part of Real's plan for Benzema and, unless he suffers any surprise setbacks, the striker should be ready to go on Sunday.
SPORT even state that Benzema is expected to be ready for the full 90 minutes against Barcelona.
It's an obvious boost for Ancelotti, who is already without Castilla striker Alvaro Rodriguez - the only natural alternative to Benzema in the squad.
Centre-back David Alaba will also miss the game through injury but Real are otherwise expected to be at full strength as they seek to inject new life into their title chance.
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